Field identification guide to large gulls in Israel

Created by: Amir Ben Dov and Yoav Perlman, October 2009Updated June 2010

amir.bendov@gmail.com

yoav.perlman@gmail.com

Moderator:Ehud Dovrat, Mars muusse

Special thanks:Morten Helberg – Norway, Risto Juvaste – Finland, Theo Muusse – The Netherlands, Hadoram Shirihai, Prof. Peter de Knijff - The Netherlands, Klaus Malling Olsen

Images: Theo Muusse, Mars muusse Gal Shon, Avi Meir, Yoav Perlman, Amir Ben Dov

* Unless stated otherwise, all images by Amir Ben Dov© All images are copyright of the photographers

This presentation was created to assist birders to identify mainly adult large gulls in Israel

Some general notes:• Images are not a replacement to identification in the field

• Image processing often alters colors.

• Slide 7 aims to compare typical mantle colors to Kodak grey scale, but in no way to determine the exact Kodak scale number of each taxa.

• Some taxa show significant variation in mantle colors, which can also be affected by light conditions

• Gulls show much variation in size, colors, and even in major ID marks. Do not be afraid to leave gulls unidentified, for instance: “Larus sp.” “heuglini - type”..

• Mid January – late March, and especially mid June – mid September are very difficult periods for gull ID, with so many retarted, strange, moulting individuals that make ID even more challenging.

• And finally and above all – don’t fear trying, its great fun

Basic gull topography

Orbital ring

Iris

Gonys

Secondaries

T6

T1

P5

P9P10

Mirror

Moon

Mirrors

Advanced topography information in the following links : Gull topography 1 , Gull topography 2

Caspian Gull P10 All – most whiteP9 – mostly white

Black on P10 – P6very little /missing black on P5

Very small amount of black on wingtip (smallest of allYL Gulls)

Armenian Gull

Heuglin’s Gull

White mirror on P10 Black reaches P5 and sometimes P4

Black on P10 – P5

White mirrors on P10 and P9

Medium amount of black on wing tip

Allot of black on wing tip

Yellow-legged GullP10 edge, All – most whiteP9 – white spot

Black on P10 – P5

Wingtip patterns

Large moons at P5-P7

Head shapes

Armenian Gull Yellow-legged Gull

Caspian Gull

Steep forehead, rounded head

Relatively smallbill

Massive bill,big gonys

Moderate forehead

Long straight bill

Flat forehead

Heuglin’s Gull

Large bill, prominent gonys

Relatively steepforehead

michahelliscachinnans

heugliniarmenicus

Moult► Moult is one of the most important ID features► Large gulls passes a post juvenile moult which is an incomplete moult,

argenteus (more south and western) will moult only scapularsargentatus (northmost birds) may even skip the post juvenile moult

heuglini has a rapid and extensive moult only after 7 months, normally including all wing coverts, but very often also tail and secondaries and even some random primaries

fuscus is the most extensive one, very often including primaries as well

michahellis and to a lesser extent cachinnans include scapulars and wing coverts which may start as early as August in these southern species.

► First moult is from juvenile -> post-juvenile moult in autumn and winter The plumage after this post-juvenile moult is often called 1st winter plumage

► In spring, a complete moult will take place throughout the summer, which brings birds in '2nd winter' plumage

► Then again, each autumn an incomplete moult, and each summer a complete moult (discluding heuglini and fuscus)

► In general northern and eastern taxa (i.e heuglini, fuscus) moult later than southern and western taxa (i.e. michahellis)

► Long-distance migrants often moult on wintering grounds► Primary moult begins from center of wing towards tip: P1 to P10 usually one feather at

a time on both wings, ► Secondaries and their coverts often replaced simultaneously► In principle young birds have dark eyes that become paler as they age

Comparison of breeding range to moult timing in large gulls

Reproduced with permission of the authors from: Liebers, D., de Knijff, P. and Helbig, A.J. (2004). The herring gull complex is not a ring species. Proc. R. Soc. Lond 271: 893-901.

Moultstart

North-easterly

michahellis

armenicus

cachinnans

barabensis

intermedius

graellsii

fuscus

heuglini

Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis, adult, halfway through primary moultMa'agan Michael 9/7/10 Gal Shon ©

P10P9

P8 P7

P6 starts growing

P5 half grown

Unmoultedsecondaries

P1 - P4 new and fully grown

Primaries moult once a year from inner P1 to outer P10

All old and worn

T1 – T3 (central tail feathers) worn will soon moult

Heuglin’s Gull - Larus heuglini, adult, end of primary moultAshdod 23/1/10

P1-P8 all new

P9 almost full size

P10 half grown

Armenian Gull – Larus armenicusMain ID features at rest

Bill – rather short, slimmer than michahellisand shorter than fuscus, typical adults show 4 colored bill (see slide 9)

Gonys – medium size, but might look confusingly large at short range, and in juvenile males.

Legs – from pink in 1st winter to yellow in adult, but never orange as in michahellis

Eye – dark in most individuals

Size – smaller and shorter-reared than michahellis, larger than fuscus, but size can vary from very small females to very large males

Head and mantle Color Color – head typically very rounded, adults mantle is rather dark grey, perhaps closer to heuglini than to michahelis.1st autumn birds are seen in Israel from June. From 1st winter onwards they become much paler up to very creamy whitish brown when bleached

Status in Israel - this is the commonest gull in most of Israel year-round, with large winter concentrations in fishponds, often inland.From end May – September juveniles are seen in Israel (especially Ma’agan Michael) and are certainly very confusing to identify from same age michahellis.

Main ID features of adult in flight

Wing – adults show dark grey upperparts,

black on primaries up to P5 and

mirrors on P10 only, closer to adult

michahellis wing

1st - 2nd winter birds show very pale

upperwing, especially median coverts and

inner primaries

Armenian Gull – Larus armenicus, adult spring, Ashdod 21/3/09

Armenian Gull – Larus armenicus, adult winter, Ma’agan Michael 1/10/09

Medium-short bill,steep forehead androunded head

Black band on bill characteristic in winter

Most adults show dark eye

Relatively dark mantlelighter than heuglinidarker than michahellis, and cachinnans

Armenian Gull – Larus armenicus, adult winter, Ashdod 6/1/10

Black onP10 – P4

P10 – white mirror

Much black on wing tip

Armenian Gull - Larus armenicus, 1st summer, Ma’agan Michael 14/4/09

Extensive moult from early May – late August

Armenian Gull – Larus armenicus, 1st summer birds, Ma’agan Michael 14/4/09

Often dark markings around eyeand on ear coverts

Armenian Gull – Larus armenicus, 1st winter

Ashdod 12/9/08

Armenian Gull – Larus armenicus, 1st summer, Ma’agan Michael 24/4/09

Armenian Gull – Larus armenicus, 1st summer, Ma’agan Michael 14/4/09

Between mid April – late August heavily worn and very bleached

Inner primaries P1-P3 are new

This armenicus is in its complete moult stage, started perhaps in early march

Central median

coverts are new

Armenian Gull – Larus armenicus, advanced 2nd winter,

Ashdod 02/10/09

Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellisMain ID features at rest

Bill – massive, yellow-orange in summer and early autumn, longer than armenicusbut not as cachinnans, quite similar to heuglini

Gonys – prominent

Legs - thick yellow orange in summer, yellow – pale yellow in early autumn

Eye – large, pale to white iris, orbital ring red in summer (when most common in Israel)

Size – large gull, same size group of heuglini and male cachinnans

Mantle Color – moderately pale mantle

colors, darker than cachinnans paler than armenicus

Status in Israel – summer and autumn visitor from mid April – mid September.The only breeding gull in Israel, from Tel Aviv to Rosh Hanikra, about 20 pairs estimated to breed in Israel (May - August).It is most dominant amongst sea shore gulls (only armenicus can also be seen during this period)

Main ID features of adult in flight

Wing – black wingtip with white

mirrors on P10 and P9, black reaches P5

When comparing michahellis and heuglini both

species share similar amount of black on wing, though heuglini shows white on P10 only

Juvenile – it is important to further discuss the ID of juveniles and 1st autumn birds of this species, as they are seen in Israel from mid June – mid September, mostly seen among juveniles and 1st autumn armenicus that also accumulate along the Israeli Mediterranean coast (Rosh Hanikra, Acre, Atilt, Ma‟agan Michael) during the same period.

In general it is a larger bird than armenicus, bill massive and gonys much stronger

Colors are very similar at this age and unlike mentioned in the book of Gulls (Olsen and Larsson 2004), the juveniles are not much paler, such difference can be seen only from 2nd winter

These 2 species are not as easy to distinguish at this age as often described though bill and head structure being a reliable feature.

Don‟t confuse with 1st winter fuscus that are always dark

Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis, adult summer (early autumn) plumage, Nachlieli Island Rosh Hanikra 17/9/09

Mantle and wing color lighter than armenicus darker than cachinnans

Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis, 4th summer, Tel Aviv University Zoological Garden (natural population) 22/5/10

Massive bill, bright yellow year-round(in adults)

The very last coverts of a young bird

P10 - WhiteP9 - white mirror

Black onP10 – P5

Massive head and bill

Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis, adult, summer plumageMa'agan Michael 22/5/09

Yellow-legged Gull – Larus michaellis, Tel Aviv University Zoological Garden

(natural population) 5/6/10

Yellow-legged Gull – Larus michahellis, winter plumage

(fairly rare winterer in Israel) Ashdod 30/10/09

Yellow-legged Gull – Larus michahellis, winter plumage(fairly rare winterer in Israel) Jaffa Port 4/2/10, Yoav Perlman ©

Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis, 3rd summer (4CY), Eilat 7/5/10. Image by Avi Meir ©

Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis, 2nd summer (3CY), extensive moultSafari, Ramat Gan (natural population) 4/6/10

Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis, fledgling, Tel Aviv University Zoological Garden (natural population) 18/6/10

Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis, Fledgling, Tel Aviv University Zoological Garden (natural population) 18/6/10

Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis, adult and 2 fledglings, Ma'agan Michael 6/6/08

Caspian Gull - Larus cachinnans

Main ID features at rest

Bill – long and very straight. Yellow in winter changes to yellow-orangein spring. Forehead rather flat. The small head and long bill give an impression of a very long bill

Gonys – extremely small and hardly noticeable from distance.

Legs – slender, in winter (when mostly seen) pale yellow, longer and thicker legs than fuscus

Eye – Pale to darkish iris (often darkish in spring)

Size and jizz – quite big, slightly smaller than heuglini but males can be larger than female heuglini.General jizz of a long-reared and slender gull, with long wings and long, slender bill

Mantle Color – The palest of all Israeli gulls, unmistakable with its pale silver mantle. Shows rather little variation in mantle color

Status in Israel – a winter gull very dominant in northern Israel, especially Acre area where the largest concentrations occur. Few hundreds seen also in Ashdod area mid December – late March

Main ID features of adult in flight

Wing – adult is easily identified in flight, very pale grey upperwing, very little black on the underwing, though black reaches P5. Dominant grey moons on primaries give the impression of very little black on wingtip

White mirrors on P10 and P9, often totally white-tipped

Caspian Gull - Larus cachinnans, Ashdod 30/1/10

Long slender bill in comparison to all adult gulls seen in Israel

Small gonys

Adult uniformly pale mantle, wings and coverts (palest of all Israeli large white-headed gulls)

Caspian Gull - Larus cachinnans, very large maleAshdod 19/3/08

Comparison between cachinnans (upper photo) and michahellis (lower photo) taken at the same date and light conditions

note the difference in:Head shapeBill colorBill lengthLeg colorLeg thicknessUpperparts colorEye color

Ashdod 11/12/09

Caspian Gull - Larus cachinnans, Ashdod 6/1/10

Much white, little black

Caspian Gull - Larus cachinnans, Ashdod 7/3/10

Very easy to identify in flight• P10 + P9 with white tip• black on P10-P5

Very little black on wing tip

Caspian Gull - Larus cachinnans, Ashdod 23/1/10

Adults have pink or yellow legs

Steppe Gull - Larus barabensisMain ID features at rest

Bill – as this taxon belongs to the cachinnansgroup, as expected the bill is long and very straight. Most adult birds have 3 colored bill tip red gonys, black between gonys and tip, and white nail – bill tip

Gonys – very small as in cachinnans

Legs – moderately thin and short, similar to fuscus

Eye – usually dark (but not black) iris, sometimes pale. Eye very small in comparison to other gulls, and located in the front of the head (very good ID feature).Thin red orbital ring.

Size and jizz– medium sized gull, intermediate between armenicus and small cachinnans.Often stands in a peculiar 45º posture tilted forward (not mentioned in literature)

Head and mantle Color – moderately dark, bluish touch, intermediate between armenicus and heuglini. Sometimes nape and back of head with faint streaks

Status in Israel – more common in autumn (mainly November) though can be seen frequently in winter and spring too, both in Eilat and along the Mediterranean coast (September –March)

Main ID features of adult in flight

Wing – extensive black primaries, reaches P3 (much black) with white mirror on P10

Steppe Gull - Larus barabensis, bird rehabilitated in NPA’s Afek Wildlife Hospital,ringed and released by Yoav Perlman at Ashdod seashore 16/2/08

Long, straight billresembles cachinnans

Small eye in comparison to all other YL Gulls

Steppe Gull – Larus barabensis, Acre sea shore 7/2/09

Often bluish mantle tones,darker than michahellis, paler than armenicus

Steppe Gull – Larus barabensis, Ashdod sea shore 27/2/10

Steppe Gull – Larus barabensis, Ashdod 16/3/10

Steppe Gull - Larus barabensis, Eilat north beach 1/3/08

P10 - white mirrorP9 – usually no mirror

Black reaches P3

Steppe Gull – Larus barabensis, Ashdod 16/3/10

P3 shows black

P4 P5P6

P7

P8

P9

P10Bluish mantle and wings

Herring Gull – Larus argentatus

Main ID features at rest

General Notes – ssp. argentatus (North Europe) is more likely to occur in Israel (one record, see notes below).ssp. argenteus (West Europe, mainly England) was never recorded in Israel and is less likely to occur.

Head and Bill – head and nape show extensive brown marking in winter plumage,

Gonys – noticeable with red spot year round, in winter shows faint black ring on bill tip

Legs – pink both in argentatus and argenteus

Eye – very pale white

Size – large gull, as big as michahellis

Mantle Color – pale grey, resembles michahellisdarker in argentatus than in argenteus

Status in Israel – ssp. argentatus recorded only once by Ehud Dovrat et al. on 3/1/1987Ashdod former sewage ponds

Main ID features of adult in flight

Wing – black reaches P5,mirrors on P10 and P9. In argentatus P10 is white to the tip. In Argenteus P10 black at tip

argentatus shows darker mantle than argenteus and less black on wingtip

Herring Gull - Larus argentatus argentatus, North France 3/1/2002Image by Mars Muusse ©

head streaking, shared

only by immature heuglini

and fuscus, in such extent

mantle colors Kodak grey scale 5-7

Very pale eye

Pink Legs

Larus argentatus argentatus, 1st CY 26/11/2006 Belgium

(Ringed at North Russia)

Image by Mars Muusse ©

Larus argentatus argentatuswing pattern, U.K 6/1/92

Open wings images by Peter Stewarte ©

Larus argentatus argentatus, 3rd CY, the Netherlands, 31/12/2008Image by Mars Muusse ©

Herring Gull - Larus argentatus argenteusBrighton England 26/11/08

Very pale eyeBrown marking on head and nape

Pale mantle colorsKodak grey scale 4-6

Pink Legs

Heuglin’s Gull - Larus heugliniMain ID features at rest

Bill – strong and heavy

Gonys – big and prominent

Legs – long and thick

Eye – pale iris

Size – can vary from very large gulls

(slide 54) to very slim gentle females (slide 60) , but most will look as large gulls

Mantle color – very dark, perhaps the darkest of all “pale gulls”, can be as dark as fuscus intermedius

Special features – in winter, nape and back of head are heavily streaked. From mid January – March nape becomes clean white, or with faint streaks on nape

Status in Israel – main wintering population arrives November – mid March, mainly along Med. coast and Eilat. Migrating birds arrive late September, can be seen mainly at Ashdod seashore and ponds (Yavne 4). Only ssp. heuglini recorded in Israel, taimyrensis unrecorded yet.

Main ID features of adult in flight

Wing – black on P10 to P4 (and even 3),

large white mirror on P10 and sometimes

small mirror on P9.

Large grey moons on P7 to P5, observed

regularly in the field, unmentioned in

literature. This distinctive feature can also

be seen in barabensis and should be further

studied.

Heuglin’s Gull - Larus heuglini winter plumage, Ashdod 15/1/08

Usually large and bulky,streaked hindneck and nape in winter

Heuglin’s Gull - Larus heuglini, spring plumage, Ashdod 15/1/08

Compare with previous slide:same date, 2 different plumages / moult stages

Heuglin’s Gull - Larus heuglini, winter plumage, Ashdod 15/1/08

Much larger gull than Baltic Gull

Heuglin’s Gull - Larus heuglini, Ashdod 30/1/10

Some individuals may show faint stripes on hindneck also in January

Long tarsus

Dark mantle and wing coverts

Heuglin’s Gull - Larus heuglini, Ashdod 6/1/10

Large mirror on P10, small mirror on P9

Faint fuscus - likesecondary pattern, medium-dark secondaries

Heuglin’s Gull - Larus heuglini, Eilat 1/3/08

Black P10-P4

Large mirror on P10,small mirror on P9

Clear contrast betweenblack wingtip and rest of upperparts(no contrast in fuscus)

Large grey / White

crescents on P7 – P5

Heuglin‟s Gull - Larus heuglini, very small female, Ashdod (Yavne 4) 19/9/09

(in the back - Baltic Gull)

Extremely small females almostsame size as female fuscus !

Heuglin’s Gull – Larus heuglini 2nd winter, possibly male

Ashdod seashore 2/1/10

Heuglin's Gull Larus heuglini

1st winter Ashdod 6/1/10

Heuglin's Gull – Larus heuglini 1st winter, Ashdod 8/1/10

Baltic Gull – Larus fuscus fuscusMain ID features at rest

Bill – long and straight, rather thin

Gonys – small to unnoticeable

Legs – very short and moderately thin

Eye – dark till 2nd summer, in adults very pale but not white. Orbital ring red in summer and autumn, but red still noticeable in winter

Size – medium sized gull slender with elongated rear, it is the smallest of all large gulls and the easiest to identify, when compared with the Intermedius and the graellsii (not definitely recorded in Israel) who are much paler

Mantle Color – usually coal Black, but shows variations with individuals showing paler mantle, fron heuglini type (in intermedius) up to armenicus pale (in Graellsii)

Special features – some individuals (especially from Norway) can be heavily streaked on the head and nape (see slide 42)

Status in Israel – second commonest gull after armenicus, especially on migration, in autumn seen from mid August in migration and in spring until late May. Winters in Israel in large numbers mainly in Ashdod area.

Main ID features of adult in flight

Wing – very typical, the easiest underwing of all large gulls of Israel (see slide 57) – totally dark secondaries

Black back

Baltic Gull – Larus fuscus fuscus, Ashdod 19/9/09

Baltic Gull – Larus fuscus fuscus, Ashdod 19/9/09

Baltic Gull – Larus fuscus fuscus, Ashdod 9/1/08

Easily identified in flight - all underwingremiges black

Baltic Gull – Larus fuscus fuscus 1st winter, (ringed as pullus on 27.7.08)

Ashdod 27/2/09

Very dark body, wings and mantle

Baltic Gull – Larus fuscus fuscus 1st winter Ashdod 2/10/09

Very dark head, body, wings and mantle

Baltic Gull – Larus fuscus fuscus 1st winter, Ashdod 24/9/09

Very dark body, underwing covertsand primaries

Comparison between 1st winter Baltic Gull and 1st summer Yellow-legged Gull

Paler brown bird

Dark brown bird

Mantle and wing coverts with darkcenters and thin white margins

Relatively short legs

Relatively long and thick legs

Delicate head and bill

Massive head and bill

Baltic Gull 1st winter Ashdod 11/12/09

Yellow-legged Gull juvenile, Tel Aviv University Zoological Garden 18/6/10

Both can be seen together on Israeli coastsduring late August to mid September

Mantle and wing coverts with smaller Dark centers and broader white margins

Baltic Gull – Larus fuscus fuscus, advanced 1st winter, Ashdod 27/2/09

Note active post-juvenile moult. All 2nd generation feathers veryneat, recently replaced, vs. steppe - taxa which have the post-juv moultmuch earlier in the year (active moult in Aug-Sept)

2nd generation feathers

Lesser Black-backed Gull - Larus fuscus intermedius

Main ID features at rest

Bill – as in fuscus

Gonys – as in fuscus

Legs – as in fuscus

Eye – as in fuscus

Size – as in fuscus

Mantle Color – variation between dark heuglini to armenicus.It is important to mention that there are as many as 6-8 black / grey levels within the normal variation of this taxon, and therefore it is difficult to positively ID unringed birds according to mantle colors.

Status in Israel – as in fuscus but much rarer, some tens are possibly seen from September to late March. See also next slide.Most are regarded as „intermedius-type”, with small female heuglini being the main pitfall. Best separated by head and neck streaking.

Main ID features of adult in flight

Wing – as in fuscus, but of course

lighter

Upperwing shows contrast between primaries (P10-P5) and rest of wing

intermedius is slightly darker than graellsii, but it shares the same moult strategy in autumn

► No certain photographs in Israel

► Possibly very rare in Israel

► 2 observations of definite intermedius: 1. Ring JN4N dark blue collected at Dugit

sea shore 31°58‘54"N 034°48‘62"E on 2/10/2003, ringed as pullus at Rauna, Farsund, Vest-Agder, Norway 58°03'33"N 06°40'10"E

Seen recently in its breeding colony in summer 2010

2. Ring JV7K dark blue, observed by Ehud Dovrat,Ashdod 10 and 15/9/08

► This true ID and status of this taxon in Israel needs to be further studied

Lesser Black-backed Gull ssp. (possibly inermedius) Ashdod 30/10/09

Dark grey mantle,Not coal blacklike fuscus

Lesser Black-backed Gull - Larus fuscus sspAshdod, 27/2/10

P10 is in little short (same length as P9)

Therefore it may well be Larus fuscus fuscus

and not intermedius

Lesser Black Backed Gull – Larus fuscus ssp, Ashdod 9/1/08. Ringed in Nordfugløy, Karlsøy, Troms, Norway, in a mixed colony of

L.f.intermedius and L.f.fuscus

Lesser Black backed Gull – Larus fuscus intermedius (front bird), Stavanger,

2/11/02, Westkapelle, the Netherlands, Image by Mars Muusse ©

Lesser Black-backed Gull - Larus fuscus graellsii

Main ID features at rest

Bill – as in fuscus

gonys – as in fuscus

Legs – as in fuscus

Eye – as in fuscus

Size – as in fuscus

Mantle and head color – varies from dark heuglini up to paler michahellis. In winter shows extensive dark head streaks with white face; such individuals have never been seen in Israel

Status in Israel – uncertain, individuals possibly of this taxon seen annually along the Ashdod - Ma'agan Michael seashore.No confirmed records from Israel of this taxon.

Due to mixed colonies, hybridization and variation in mantle colors of all fuscus taxa, graellsii cannot be separated from intermedius if unringed!

Main ID features of adult in flight

Wing – as in fuscus, but lighter colors Upperwing with contrast between primaries (P10-P5) and rest of wing

graellsii is slightly lighter then intermedius but it shares the same moult strategy inautumn

note the “Dutch intergrade‟ formDutch intergrade refer to birds from the Continental North Sea coast, which are intermediate in grey tone between graellsii and intermedius

Lesser Black-backed Gull – Larus fuscus graellsiiintergraded with „Dutch‟ intermedius (right), and L. f. fuscus (left).

Westkapelle, the Netherlands, 01/10/2009, image by Theo Muusse ©

Lesser Black-backed Gull – Larus fuscus graellsii, 22/10/01, Westkapelle, the Netherlands, image by Mars Muusse ©

Heavily streaked headwith white face

Lesser Black backed Gull - Larus fuscus graellsii adult female ringed in the

UK, 3/4/03 Nachtegalenkeet, Maasvlakte, the Netherlands by Mars Muusse ©

Great Black-backed Gull - Larus marinus

Main ID features at rest

Bill – heavy and large

Gonys – massive

Legs – pink in all plumages and ages

Eye – pale but not white

Size – the largest of all gulls, larger than ichthyaetus

Mantle color – variation between black as fuscus or paler between heuglini and fuscus

Status in Israel – extremely rare,

but since January 2006 an adult has been returning annually to winter

at Acre port and coast from December – mid March

Main ID features of adult in flight

Wing – resembles fuscus in upperparts

and underparts, though more grayish and less black upperwing.

Extensive white on P10, P9 and white tips to P6

Broad white upperwing trailing edge

Great Black-backed Gull - Larus marinus, Acre port 10/3/09

Dark back almost as fuscus

Massive head andbill

Great Black-backed Gull - Larus marinus, Acre port 10/3/09

P10 – tip all whiteP9 - tip all - almost all white

Great Black backed Gull - Larus marinus, Acre Port 10/3/09

Pink legs

Broad whiteTrailing edge

Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus

Acre port 1/1/10

P10/9 – tip all white

fuscus-likeunderwing but broader trailing edge

Pallas’s Gull - Larus ichthyaetus

Main ID features at rest

This is a distinctive and well-described gull, shows rather limited variation

Bill – long, orange with black ring and white tip, swollen towards tip

Gonys – no special characters

Legs – no special characters

Eye – dark

Size – the second largest gull in Israel

(after marinus)

Head– in summer completely black with beautiful white (“broken”) orbital ring.

In winter and in all ages (from 1st winter onwards) head shows extensive black markings

Mantle Color –quite pale grey

Status in Israel – a winter visitor from late October – late March (but most arrive in January).In some years hundreds seen in the Bet She‟an Valley and / or Acre area

Main ID features of adult in flight

Wing – P10 to P5 tips with very little black and massive white mirrors and tongues

Extensive white primaries from third winter make it easy to identify at any distance

Pallas’s Gull - Larus ichthyaetus, Ashdod 15/1/08

Pallas’s Gull - Larus ichthyaetus, Ashdod 16/2/08

Pallas’s Gull - Larus ichthyaetus, Ashdod 9/1/08

Pallas’s Gull - Larus ichthyaetus, Ashdod 9/1/08

Some images of unidentified gulls

These images emphasize the huge variation seen in the field

Not every gull can or should be identified

Larus sp. Ashdod 16/11/09

Larus sp. possibly heuglini – Eilat 1/3/08

Ehud Dovrat, March 2009Ehud is the pioneer of gulls color rings tracking and of gull identification in Israel

Gull-watching in Israel

Major gull watching sites in Israel –

where and whenAcre area and northern Med. coastcachinnans December – March, up to 6000armenicus October – Marchmichahellis several pairs breeding on islands off Rosh Hanikra April – August

Ma’agan Michael: sea shore and fishpondsarmenicus present year round, many hundreds in spring, many Thousands in winterichthyaetus December – Early March, Up to 100michahellis 2-4 pairs breeding on Pigeon Island April – August

Tel Aviv metropolinTel Aviv univ. and Ramat Gan Safarimichahellis 7-10 pairs breeding, April – Julyarmenicus October -MarchAshdod - Yavne 4 ponds, seashore and

rubbish dump – the prime gull watching site in Israelfuscus September – mid April, up to 1000heuglini October – mid March, up to 300cachinnans December – mid March, up to 500barabensis November – mid march, up to 200armenicus October – March mainly 1st - 2nd winter birds

Lake Kinneret and Bet She’an Valleyarmenicus October –March (thousands)ichthyaetus December –early March, up to 1500

Eilat – north beach, KM 19, KM 20fuscus strong migration in spring, mid March –late Mayheuglini mid March –late May

Harod Valleyarmenicus October –March (many hundreds)ichthyaetus December –early March, hundreds

Caspian gulls – Larus cachinnans flock in an afternoon pre-roost gathering, part of a 5000 birds flock , Acre Valley 22/1/10

Pallas's Gulls - Larus ichthyaetus, Israel highest record number (1300+)Sde Eliyahu, Bet She’an Valley 21/2/08

Ashdod – Israel's top site for gull watching and for color ring reading. This site comprises of three sub-sites which hugely attract gulls

1. Shallow water ponds 2. Open garbage dump 3. Sea shore

Development threats are hovering over this site (new highway, new industrial zone).

Will it last ?

Mixed gulls, Ashdod: heuglini, fuscus, cachinnans, armenicusAshdod 20/1/10 Yoav Perlman ©

Reading color rings in Israel Most rings in Israel are read nowadays in Ashdod sea shore and Ponds

31°51„09"N

34°42„26"E

Ben Zakai reservoir,

alternative resting point

Yavne 4 ponds

Yavne 3 ponds

Reading color rings in Israel

• In late 1990’s (12/98 – 3/02) 7 Russian and 6 Ukraine cachinnans rings read at Shifdan (former Dan sewage farm) and Ashdod (Ehud Dovrat). Since then all rings read in Israel are of Larus fuscus fuscus

• Best period to read color rings is from the 3rd week of September till late March

• The ring code consists of color and digits / letters

• As there are now too few free numbers left it became possible to read the same number on 2 different colors. Therefore it is essential to record both color and number.

• Rings starting with J ringed in NorwayRings starting with C ringed in FinlandRings starting with M and A ringed in SwedenRings starting with V ringed in Denmark (seen only once in Israel By Ehud Dovrat)

• One of the world leading gulls ringers Risto Juvaste from Finland is leading a project ringing gulls in the White Sea area, southern Russia, and Finland. These rings are yellow KJ_ _ (ringed at Onega lake, Russia), white C_ _N(ringed in Finland), and white KR_ _ (ringed at Solovetsky island, Onega Bay White Sea, Russia)

• Red Rings with white digits / letters, starting with U (fuscus, armenicus, barabensis, cachinnans), were ringed in Israel by Yoav Perlman after rehabilitationin the NPA Wildlife Hospital or trapped at Ashdod

Armenian Gull – Larus armenicus ringed at Afek NPA Hospital 8/1/2010

Gulls color ringing in Israel

Since 2008 red color rings beginning with U are being used in Israel

Some birds were found poisoned / exhausted, rehabilitated at NPA Wildlife Hospital and released: fuscus, armenicus, cachinnans

Other gulls were trapped at Ashdod: fuscus, armenicus, cachinnans

michahellis pullus ringed since May 2010 in Tel Aviv University Zoological Garden

Some links to recommended gulls sites

► Gull topography 1

► Gull topography 2

► www.gull-research.org

► Identification of 2CY heuglini gull

► Identification of 2CY fuscus gull

► http://www.berksbirds.co.uk/articles/caspiangullid.asp

Selected References

► Olsen, K.M, and Larsson, H. (2005). Gulls of Europe, Asia and North America. Helm, London.

► Liebers, D., de Knijff, P. and Helbig, A. J. (2004). The herring gull complex is not a ring species. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. 271: 893-901.

Enjoy gulling!